The Weekly 411 (5/29/26)

May 29, 2026 vol. 22

The Weekly 411 gathers all the links added to Kidlit411 each week. To receive this post by email, sign up for our email updates. Are you on Facebook? Join our Kidlit411 group for conversations and camaraderie. We can also be found on Bluesky. This week's illustration is by John Lechner.

Young Adult Giveaway

We are pleased to host a giveaway of the book, The Chismosas Only Book Club by Laeken Zea Kemp (G.P. Putnam's Sons for Young Readers) out now. Enter to win a copy via the widget below.

cover art design by Kristin Boyle

About the Book: The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants meets Mexikid in this heart-warming novel with illustrations about four friends and the magical bookstore that holds them together. Cat, Sofia, Ana, and Mari are best friends. Nothing, nada, can break their bond. When Cat’s mom scolds them for their loud cackling at the bookstore, calling them a bunch of chismosas, the name sticks. Cat creates the The Chismosas Only Book Club, giving the girls a way to stay connected as they begin high school.

But ninth grade is hard, and it seems like no amount of conchas y libros y risas at Milagro’s Books, founded generations ago by Cat’s great-great-great-grandmother, can repair the ever-growing cracks in their friendship. But maybe the spirit of Milagro herself can . . .

About the Author: Laekan Zea Kemp is a writer living in Austin, Texas. Her debut novel, Somewhere Between Bitter and Sweet was a 2022 Pura Belpré Honor recipient and her most recent novel, An Appetite for Miracles won the Jean Flynn award for YA fiction. The Spanish translation of her debut picture book, Una Corona para Corina was named a Campoy-Ada Award Honor book and her picture book Desert Song was awarded the Tomás Rivera Book Award in the Young Readers category for 2025, as well as the Brigid Erin Flynn Award for Best Picture Book from the Texas Institute of Letters.She has three objectives when it comes to storytelling: to make people laugh, cry, and crave Mexican food. Her work celebrates Chicano grit, resilience, creativity, and joy while exploring themes of identity and mental health.

Query Letters

The Anatomy of a Pitch

Picture Books

The Mucky Middle: Maintaining Momentum from Page 8-24

Writing Courses

June 11, 3 p.m. CDT/ 4 p.m. EDT Writing Humor in Today’s Competitive Market: Tips, Tricks, and a Mini Checklist to Elevate Your Humor Creating a manuscript that’s funny is no easy task. In this session, Literary Manager Lindsey Aduskevich will provide you with both tips and a checklist that will help you evaluate your humor to stand out in the competitive market. Dive into a few picture books with Lindsey to find out how to: Amp up your humor through language; Choose a funnier character for your story; Decide which setting will give you the most opportunities for silly scenarios; Evaluate the heart in your manuscript (yes, even humor needs heart); Make your story stand out in an agent’s inbox

Revisions

The Weird Editing Habit I Can't Write Without

For Writers

Worldbuilding: How to Create a Believable World for Your Fiction Characters

Critique Groups

How to Become a Better Writer: 4 Ways to Deal with Criticism

Legal Resources for Creatives

Know Your Article Usage Rights

Inspirational Things

What to Do When Someone Writes "Your" Book